Chapter 79 - The Arctic Redoubt
The approach was silent and lethal.
Under the cover of a sudden Arctic squall, Viktor’s tactical unit took out the exterior perimeter guards with silenced sniper fire, slipping through the snowdrifts like ghosts. Emma, holding Lily securely against her chest with one arm while gripping her sidearm with the other, moved through the sub-zero blast tunnels carved into the solid rock. Daniel and Viktor flanked them, their muzzles sweeping the frozen corridors.
The interior of the Arctic Redoubt was a monstrous relic of twentieth-century megalomania. Mile-long corridors of polished concrete, lit by flickering sodium-vapor lamps, echoed with the distant rumble of industrial generators. The smell of diesel fuel and ozone hung heavy in the air.
Suddenly, an alarm siren began to wail—a rhythmic, deafening howl that bathed the concrete walls in flashing amber light.
*"Intruder alert in Sector 4,"* an automated voice blared across the intercom. *"Sovereign override protocol initiated. Lockdown in six minutes."*
"Evelyn knows we're inside!" Viktor shouted over the klaxons. "Move! Double time to the central chamber!"
Gunfire erupted from the intersection ahead. Bullets ricocheted off the concrete walls in showers of bright sparks. Daniel lunged forward, taking cover behind a massive steel pillar and returning fire with controlled, deadly three-round bursts, suppressing the Iron Guard defenders.
"Go, Emma! Take the service conduit to the vault!" Daniel yelled over the roar of combat. "Viktor and I will hold the choke point!"
Emma hesitated for a fraction of a second. Daniel caught her eye, giving her a resolute nod. "I'll be right behind you. Finish it!"
Emma turned, scooping Lily up, and bolted down a reinforced titanium staircase leading deep into the subterranean core. Behind them, the sounds of grenades and automatic rifle fire shook the very foundations of the mountain.
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She reached the bottom of the shaft and hit the heavy manual release. The double blast doors swung open to reveal the Vault Core—a colossal chamber lined with towering stacks of pure gold bullion, pallets of negotiable bearer bonds, and a massive central terminal glowing with pale blue luminescence.
Standing right at the console, her trembling hands frantically keying commands into the system, was Evelyn.
